Sharing, Caring, Helping, Protection and Cooperation by Mindfulness and Right Understanding.

4 October 2012

Middle Way for Real Freedom

MIDDLE
WAY FOR REAL FREEDOM

Summary
of the Teaching of Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara,

Delivered
on 16th September 2012

We are used to center or pay attention to the created truth
only. All living beings, non living beings, time and place are just created
truth. All the causes and effects that we currently know are also just created
truth. Our current intelligence and knowledge are also just created truth. Our
body and current mind is also just created truth. Because of attachment to the
created truths, all our actions cannot go beyond the created truth. Our mind is
always connecting one created truth after another. All our mental actions are
concerned only with created truth.

Our goal is to use the created truths in the right way. As
long as we are using the created truths wrongly, enlightenment will not appear.
By using the created truths in the right way, enlightenment will appear. In
order to use the created truths in the right way, it is necessary to know and
contemplate the truth of created truths.

Created truths are neither to be rejected nor attached,
thinking them as reality or real importance but to use-only, to experience-only
and to know-only.

Not
attaching means to abandon the mental centering on the created truths.

“Use-only, experience-only” means using-only,
experiencing-only without attachment or without any idea of something or
someone. Use-only means using without mental centering on the created truth. In
fact, we are using the created truth all the time but there is mental grasping
and centering in all our actions.

Constant mindfulness of “to use-only, to experience-only”
intends to stop the habit of mental centering. Remind the truth of “to
use-only” intends to make the mental centering and grasping habit weaker and
weaker. Try to remember the truth of the
created truths. All actions including practicing meditation are to be used-only
and experienced-only but Not to be attached as original reality. Our
actions must be free from the wrong idea of something or someone. All the
effects, good or bad must be experienced-only but must not be centered as
original reality.

Centering
or using with the idea of something, someone or individual is wrong. The truth
of created truths is also to be used-only and just to be reminded-only.

We are traditionally doing good deeds with our normal
understanding. Our intelligence is not perfect that is why all our understandings
are not perfect. All actions of doing good deeds must be controlled by the
middle way of remembering the truth of the created truths.

Try to
abandon the mental centering on the created truth by remembering the truth of
“using-only, experiencing-only, doing-only and knowing-only.” Try to be
Using-only, Experiencing-only, Knowing-only by remembering the truth of
“Abandoning the mental centering”.

Using-only the way is right but mental grasping on it is
wrong.

Understanding the truth of “use-only; experience-only”
intends to enable the abandoning the habit of mental centering and grasping on
our intelligence or whatever we know.

Our mind and intelligence are to be used-only and be
experienced-only but not to be centered as real importance. By reminding the
truth of the created truths, try to use the created truths in a right way. The
traditional habit of mind is the centering and grasping as reality. Continuous
remembering the truth of use-only, experience-only, do-only and know-only
intend to abandon the mental centering related on action.

Abandon
the centering; Center the abandoning.

Try to
love and remember constantly the truth of created truths “To experience-only
and Not to center as reality.”

Try to
abandon the mental centering on the created truths.

Attempt to abandon the mental centering by remembering the
truth of “use-only, experience-only”, is also to be done-only, used only but
not to be grasped. Try also to detach on the attempt for abandoning the
centering. That means to abandon the centering on enabling the abandonment or
not.

The more abandoning the mental centering on any action, the
more ability of “using-only and experiencing-only. Attachment arises because of
the mental centering.

The less the mental centering, the less attachment, then the
power of using-only arises. The less attaching, the more power of abandoning,
sacrificing, enduring, and courage to any loss. The more power of abandoning,
sacrificing, enduring, and courage to any loss. the more detachment. In this
way, all our actions will be free from wrong understanding and right
understanding which knows the original truth will appear.

Our mind, body and our life, all are to use-only and not to
attached, centered and taken as reality or real importance. We are
traditionally using our life with wrong understanding.

Following the way is correcting the traditional mistake of
mental centering on created truths. Only right understanding can control all
our actions in the right way, then all our action and knowing will be
doing-only and knowing-only without likes and dislikes. Whatever happens, good or bad, are to be experienced-only but not to be
centered and grasped.

Rejecting and attaching to the created truth is wrong.
Reminding the truth of created truths will enable us not to reject nor attach
to the created truths.

We are traditionally using the created truth without the
right understanding. That mean we are using the created truth in the wrong way;
that’s why there is no ending. In whatever we do, whatever we know and even in
practicing meditation, there is mental grasping and centering to this method or
that method.

Helping people, keeping precepts and practicing meditation
is necessary, but in all these actions of good deeds, not forgetting the truth
of the created truths is most important. Constant awareness of the truth, “TO
USE-ONLY but NOT TO CENTER” is necessary in order to make the attachment to the
created truth less and less.

Understanding or not is also not important. To be free from
the attachment to the situation of understanding or not is important. If there
is attachment in the understanding or not, we are not using the understanding
and not-understanding in the right way.

Daily activities to participate ….

ThaBarWa Centre or ThaBarWa Yeiktha is an ideal place for learning and practicing meditation as well as for helping others who have physical and mental limitations and difficulties.

Our center takes care of everybody, regardless of age, race and religion, who cannot support themselves and survive on their own due to various reasons and at the same time teaching them how to meditate and purify their mind.

The population of our centre is more than 2,500. By staying at our centre, you will have plenty of chances to experience and participate in the following activities …

1. Following the monks in their daily alms rounds and helping in distributing the alms food to infirm, old folks and meditators.

2. Taking care of and assisting infirm or old folks with their chores.

3. Visiting branches of ThaBarWa Centres (across Myanmar).

4. Learning Burmese culture and the people.

5. Attending insight meditation session and classes.

6. Helping in the kitchen, cooking and distributing food.

7. Helping in the health care, in the clinics and wards.

8. Helping in the library.

9. Assisting Venerable with management, IT and technology.

10. Visiting the mercy villages which were established (by ThaBarWa) for homeless and needy families and individuals.

11. Sharing your language, IT and technology knowledge and expertise with adults and Children of our centre.

Sayadaw Ashin Ottamasara

Please click the photo to visit Sayadaw's facebook

Biography

Sayadaw Ashin Uttamasara was born in Katha, Sagaing Division, Myanmar on Sunday 26th October 1969.

Since his youth he placed full value on education. He passed Matriculation in 1986 with flying colors. After completing a B.A (English, Honors) from the University of Yangon in 1992, he became a young entrepreneur and successful businessman within a short period of time.

Faced with difficulties and frustrations in running a complex business for 7 years, he sought refuge in the Dhamma in 1999. With the help of a Dhamma friend, he entered the Mogok Meditation Centre at Insein Monastery for a five-day meditation retreat, becoming initiated in Dhamma contemplation and practice.

From February 1999 to January 2002 he deeply concentrated on meditation. He became so devoted to Dhamma that he was able to reduce his business calmly, without much attachment.

For the propagation of Dhamma he donated all the assets he had accumulated during 6 years of entrepreneurship. He then concentrated on charity, morality and insight contemplation to find the perfect Truth.

In 2002, he was ordained in Yangon by Sayadaw U Nayyasagara and started to teach Vipassana Insight Meditation.

Today, Sayadaw teaches Dhamma and Guided Vipassana Insight Meditation in various institutions, schools, hospitals and individual residences in Myanmar and other countries.

Sayadaw remains a well-known name throughout the shores of Myanmar and beyond.

Thabarwa is a place for everyone!!

Thabarwa Center is a non-profit humanitarian organization working for a noble cause.

We provide a home sweet home for everybody (both for locals and foreigners alike), unconditionally.

We open 24 hours a day, seven days a week without recess.

The activities of Sayadaw Ashin Uttamasara and Thabarwa Center are wide and various, serving the spiritual and physical needs of thousands from far and near.

More and more visitors from all over Myanmar and abroad are coming daily to visit, learn meditation and volunteer their skills and time in caring for those taking refuge at Thabarwa Center.

Good deeds at Thabarwa

• Providing refuge not only for meditators but also for the old aged, homeless, orphans, loners, infirm and the people with physical and mental difficulties.

• Currently more than 2,500 people (as of October 2015) taking refuge at our centre.

• Providing health care, food, clothing, shelter, clean water for cooking and drinking, etc. and offering aids and support for free of charge.

• Solving day to day problems of centre residents, meditators, volunteers and visitors.

• Communicating and cooperating with volunteers, charities, non-profit organizations and philanthropists from Myanmar and abroad.

• Conducting daily Vipassana Insight Meditation and Dhamma Talks.

• Conducting retreats in the traditions of renowned vipassana meditation masters. All the meditation methods are being utilized without attachment to any particular method.